The Prophecy Keeper
by Dov5e
Summary: Rachel hates Clarion Academy. So when Chiron offers an assistant teaching position with a fellow centaur at a school, she jumps at the chance. But Rachel always had bad luck. Bad summary. READ IF YOU LOVE SQUIRRELS!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stared out over the lake forlornly.

She didn't even know why she came out here. To get away from those girls, perhaps. Spoiled rich girls who hid their true selves behind a mask of polite indifference or arrogance.

It seemed she had no friends at Clarion Academy, the elite private girls' school her father had admitted her to.

Her father.

Now there was something she could definitely rant about for _a while. _

Rachel snorted to herself almost pityingly.

She then sighed heavily; stood up and brushed herself off while mentally preparing herself for the world of Clarion Academy. It was a boarding school, so when she had first arrived, it seemed like there was no escape.

Until she found the lake.

A place hidden from the world, just her and her thoughts.

It was only a quarter of a mile away from the main school, while still being a part of the campus. Of course all the other girls complained about using any amount of energy unless it involved shopping, catfights, or boys in general. How stereotypical can you get?

She sighed to herself again and began the trek back to the boarding houses. Only another 4 months or so, she told herself while rolling her eyes, and after school's over… She burst into an involuntary grin then frowned reflexively as she remembered that she still had to last another _4 months_. How in Hades did she manage to stay sane last year?

Rachel walked along absentmindedly, consumed by her thoughts, until she was jerked from them with a sudden CRACK.

Rachel must have jumped five feet, but her instincts kicked in right after. As she ran behind the nearest tree, she still managed to smile wryly to herself. The results of spending a summer trying _not to get killed _made her wary and jumpy for a few weeks. She thought she had cured herself from that particular habit, but she was sort of reluctant to do so, just in case of another attack. Though who would want to attack Clarion Academy was beyond her. They were mostly after the people she was with. But she still remembered the way she was before she met her friends; sure she was insane from seeing things that didn't exist.

She peered out from behind the sturdy oak and thought that she _was_ really beginning to go crazy.

For there, standing in the spot she had just abandoned, was an old man dressed in brightly colored robes complete with stars and moons, looking for all the world like he had just stepped out of a fairy tale. He had white hair and an impossibly long beard, and appeared to holding in one hand a wand.

Rachel couldn't believe this.

In all of her supposed hallucinating, she had never seen a _wizard. _Maybe a crazy son of Hecate? But he didn't look like the fighting type, and fighting was key in order to survive for this long. In fact, she didn't ever remember seeing a half-blood any where older than twenty-five, though she supposed they were out there. Of course, she thought morosely, most don't last that long.

She peeked around the trunk of the tree again, only to stare straight into twinkling blue eyes that vaguely reminded her of Chiron behind clear semi-circle glasses.

"Hello."

Rachel jerked back in surprise and a small part fear.

"Who are you?"

Rachel blushed at her sudden lack of manners, then immediately was horrified at herself. _Oh no! Clarion must be getting to me!_ She blinked and dismissed the thought to focus on the problem at hand.

The old man just smiled reassuringly.

"I assume you are Miss Dare, correct?"

Rachel hesitated for a moment, before replying tentatively.

"Yes."

The man's smile grew wider.

"Chiron sent this letter; he said it should explain everything."

Rachel relaxed at the mention of Chiron, but as always, kept her guard up. She held out her hand expectantly.

"May I see it?"

Her long fingers grasped the thin paper and were quick to unfold it.

_Dear Rachel,_

_I have known your opinion of your school and your abilities, so when I received word from an old friend I immediately thought of you. The man who delivered this letter is called Albus Dumbledore. He is headmaster of a prestigious school for witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts. As you are probably wondering, witches and wizards are merely mortals blessed by Hecate, having no godly blood. However they have managed to create their own society, hidden from the eyes of unknowing mortals. Few, however, know of their origins, having passed down the magical ability through their offspring. _

_Albus is one such man. One of my distant, more prophetic centaur relatives, Firenze, has recently become a teacher at his school due to unfortunate circumstances, which prevented the last professor from teaching. The subject he is teaching is Divination, which has to do with telling the future, prophecy, and other related subjects. When he contacted me for teaching advice, I suggested an actual oracle coming to stay as a guest at their school. Both Albus and Firenze were agreeable with the idea, and so, coming to my conclusion, it is up to you whether or not you would wish to visit their school, Hogwarts, for an extended period of time. Any arrangements will be taken care of and you may research some of their subjects at Hogwarts if you wish, without using practical application, of course. The decision is entirely up to you. Simply tell Albus you wish to go and he will take you or you may remain at Clarion Academy until it is time for you to return in the summer. _

_Best of Luck,_

_Chiron_

Rachel blinked in surprise. Definitely not what she was expecting. Then she grinned broadly as all the information sunk in.

_Stuck-up, make-up obsessed freaks or a new cool magical world? Gee, I wonder._

"I'll go." She said abruptly, looking up from the paper she held in between her fingers at the patiently waiting Headmaster.

He smiled kindly in return.

"Thank you for your help. We are always pleased to be welcoming talented young people to Hogwarts." He said sincerely.

"Should I go pack my bags? Will we be leaving now?"

"Chiron said he already sent two suitcases from your other living area."

The cave where she stayed during the summer.

"Oh." She paused, slightly worried. "Did he-"

"Chiron said he remembered your art supplies."

Rachel flushed at being this predictable, but grinned at the thought of being able to paint in her free time. Though, nowadays she used them mostly to record her visions.

"So, do we just…leave then?"

Rachel suddenly felt apprehensive at the abruptness of this. Not ten minutes ago, she was sitting by the lake, avoiding school. Now she was traveling to a distant magical school.

"Yes." He confirmed. "Please hold onto my arm tightly. We will be apparating, which while the travel time is relatively short, can often cause some motion sickness to those not accustomed to it. Just so you will be prepared."

Rachel now looked at outstretched arm with a slightly panicked expression. Motion sickness? She never had many problems with it before, but she was nervous about this new form of travel. Nevertheless, she grabbed his arm, albeit a bit tighter than normal.

Dumbledore didn't seem at all uncomfortable with her death grip on his arm, merely muttering words that made no sense to Rachel and suddenly she felt the most peculiar feeling of being dragged through a tornado by the pit of her stomach.

It was not Rachel's most favorite feeling in the world.

When the winds finally died down, true to his word, Rachel was vomiting into the nearest bush.

_Ugh_, she thought as she wiped her mouth with a kerchief provided by a thoughtful Dumbledore, _I hate apparating._

She had been too busy being sick before to notice her surroundings, but now that she did, she felt like she had been transported back in time.

They stood at the edge of a village; it wasn't big enough to be called a town. There were old thatched rooftops and heavy brick walls. The cobblestone road was one of the few main ways in the village. The people who milled about the quiet settlement wore the oddest of clothing, like they were from the Medieval Ages. All in all, very strange.

"Where are we?"

Dumbledore smiled for what seemed like the twentieth time in the short five minutes she had known him.

"Hogsmeade. We cannot apparate directly into Hogwarts because of the wards, so the closest town was Hogsmeade. I've arranged for transportation for the remainder of the way."

_As long as it's not apparating._ Rachel grimaced at the thought.

"They should be here relatively soon."

Rachel wondered how he had managed to notify whoever was coming so quickly; it didn't seem at all possible, but then again, this was _magic. _

Rachel was dragged from her thoughts by a clip-clop sound and she turned around, fully expecting to see a regular horse, or maybe a Pegasus; they were common around camp. What she saw was a winged dark raggedy skeletal looking horse-thing. It didn't even look alive. It was terrifying. Rachel could almost feel herself being dragged back to her fears of the past and looked up at Dumbledore with a panicked expression to make sure she wasn't crazy, she was still sane, she wasn't hallucinating ag-

"Can you see the threstrals?" He looked down at her calmly, and some small irritated part of her wondered if he ever stopped being annoyingly peaceful all the time.

Still, Rachel nodded numbly.

Dumbledore looked greatly depressed. "So sad for one so young."

Seeing Rachel's confused look, he explained. "Thestrals can only be seen by those who have seen death."

Rachel blinked and tried to remember when she had seen death. She recalled the horrifying experience of Antaeus's area. But the monsters really weren't dead; they would come back. In fact, Rachel couldn't ever remember actually seeing death. She remembered the feeling of the injured and dying all around her during the battle of Manhattan, but she had never physically seen someone die. But then again, Rachel had always been able to see that which others couldn't. Maybe it was just another side effect of being clear-sighted.

Rachel was jerked from her thoughts by the sound of a door opening. While she had been preoccupied with the threstrals, she had somehow managed to completely miss the carriage it was pulling.

The carriage was black with high intricate wheels. It had small windows on either side through which she could see two people.

The person who had opened the door was a woman. She had chaotic unnaturally pink hair and bright eyes. She could just make out the silhouette of a rather lumpy man.

The first lady flashed a grin at her, before addressing Dumbledore.

"Who's this? I thought we were just picking you up, Headmaster."

The man in the shadows grunted in agreement.

Dumbledore smiled serenely. "This is Ms. Dare. She will be assisting Firenze with the Divination classes."

The woman looked confused but still smiled at her and motioned for her to get in.

Rachel sat down across from the other man on old dusty red cushions. She could finally see the other man.(the curiosity was killing her) He had balding red hair in random tuffs, a long trench coat, a wooden leg, and of all things, _a moving artificial eye._ The eye scared the crap out of Rachel, who had never seen such a thing. It was bright blue and swiveled around in all directions, but right now it was centered on her. She gave an involuntary shiver.

Dumbledore situated himself on the seat next to hers before closing the door tightly and with a sudden jerk the carriage moved forward.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but you can just call me Tonks." The woman broke the silence with a nervous smile and reached out her hand to Rachel.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare." She shook her hand.

Tonks nodded and motioned her head at the man with the creepy eye. "This is Moody."

Rachel nodded. "Do you work for the school?" she asked, trying to make small talk.

Tonks shook her head. "Actually we're aurors for the Ministry. We were just helping out for security."

Rachel tilted her head in a puzzled manner. "Aurors? Ministry?"

Now Tonks was confused. "You know… the Ministry of Magic?"

Rachel shrugged. "I'm sorry; I don't know much about the magical world. I only found out today."

Moody finally spoke from his dark corner. "Today? How is she supposed to help if she doesn't know anything? And shouldn't she have found out sooner? Mighty suspicious, if you ask me." His voice was low and growling and his fake eye fixed on her again.

Rachel glared indignantly at his tone. "I may not know much about magic, but I _do_ know a great deal about foretelling and prophecy."

"How can you know about foretelling and prophecy and not about magic? It's impossible." His already suspicious look turned into an accusing glare.

Dumbledore broke in. "Rachel is an expert at seeing the future and giving prophecies. It's a natural gift. However, she wasn't aware of the magical world because she is, technically speaking, a muggle."

Muggle? Rachel was confused again and Tonks looked shocked and unsure of what to say. Moody's expression didn't change.

"A muggle in Hogwarts? Are you sure this is wise, with the Ministry poking around this year?" Tonks asked tentatively.

"We just won't be mentioning this to the Ministry." Dumbledore said calmly.

Still, Tonks sputtered. "But, how? I mean, what can she….do?"

Rachel, tired of being ignored, cut in. "What is a muggle?"

"A non-magical person, my dear." Dumbledore said before turning back to Tonks. "Rachel is an Oracle. This ancient trait has passed from a muggle girl to muggle girl for thousands of years."

Tonks still looked slightly skeptical, but seemed to believe it for most part. Moody, on the other hand, looked entirely skeptical. Oh well, she thought, their loss.

The rest of the trip was awkward silence, except for Dumbledore mentioning that this was to only stay between Order members, whatever that meant.

Rachel glanced out the window as they approached the school and she caught her breath.

It was a castle.

A giant, medieval castle. Complete with numerous stone turrets and towers. A mystical air seemed to surround the castle and the lights inside cast an eerie glow about it. A vivid reflection glistened on the long lake in front. The watery image broke apart in quiet ripples as something large and dark stirred under the surface. She felt the sudden urge to sketch it before it disappeared.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Rachel tore her eyes from the magnificent sight to turn to Tonks. She seemed to have overcome her hesitation from before.

"I've never seen anything quite like it. Does anyone live there?"

Tonks laughed lightly. "Of course! That's the school!"

"Oh." Rachel shook her head, grinning at the obviousness of her question. She was filled with a sudden nervous excitement. She was going to live in a castle! She was suddenly launched back ten years into old memories. A six-year old girl who wanted nothing more of the world than shiny tiaras and princess gowns. She'd grown out of that stage quicker than most, but it still didn't change the fact that once her greatest desire was to live in a castle.

They neared the castle swiftly drawing up in front of huge doors that must have been at least three stories tall. They were a solid stained oak, kept together with large iron bars, thicker than her torso.

The edges of the iron curved into a myriad of varyingly sized decorative circles, symmetrical on both sides.

She clamored out of the carriage behind Dumbledore onto the stone pathway.

Moody strayed behind Rachel, but she could feel his eyes watching her back, alert of her every movement. She shivered reflexively.

Dumbledore led the way to the doors and pulled out his sti-wand. Knowing she was about to see some of her first bits of magic, she inched forward eagerly. Green eyes watched as Dumbledore waved his wand through the air like a conductor over an orchestra.

There was no bright flash of light, no sparkles or anything you might expect from magic. Just a swish and a few mumbled words.

The imposing door swung open with a loud creak in response to his gesture.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

**A/N: I really don't know why I'm doing this. I really shouldn't be starting yet **_**another **_**story, but I can't help it. For this reason, updates will be spontaneous and random. Don't expect anything soon. Hoped you liked it. Please tell me what you think. This may or may not influence my decision to update faster. That's all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I gotta say-WOW-16 reviews on my first chapter? That's awesome! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. THANKS TO MY AWESOME REVIEWERS!:**

**MasqueradeDoll, Mythomagic-Champion, Katerina Riley, Lazy yet w 2 FRKN accounts, Reyna Rocks, Joanne Kathleen Riordan, ChoocolateMarshmellowPudding, Tashi and the Black Bumble Bee, laugra42, dreamer1293, Pink Wolf Princess, yarra, A Contradiction, Vivere Libri, Fourteen things, and anon.**

**Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.**

Chapter 2

Minerva McGonagall was confused.

This was an uncommon occurrence, you see. Minerva McGonagall was a stoic, strict, unwavering professor at the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She taught transfiguration and tolerated no tomfoolery or foolishness in her classes.

Minerva had good reason, however.

Albus Dumbledore had just informed her, through patronus, that _she _would be assisting the new Divination teacher in getting settled.

It was a well known fact that Minerva hated Divination with a passion. It just was so…unreliable. And unrealistic. And frivolous. She was also almost positive that Sibyll Trelawney, the current Divination teacher, was a fraud.

But she didn't want her _fired._ It hadn't happened yet, but you could tell that Sibyll wasn't going to last much longer if Umbridge continued her reign. In fact, she could guarantee that her least favorite colleague would be gone by the end of the week.

Minerva's face contorted into a sharp frown at the thought of Hogwarts' new High Inquisitor. She didn't consider Umbridge a colleague, of course. Goodness knows what goes on in her classes from what she could tell from the school gossip. Not that Minerva participated in such. Rumors were that she wasn't even teaching the students to avoid building an army. Really, an _army_? The Ministry has fallen so far since her own school days.

But back to Sibyll's imminent expulsion.

Albus had anticipated this of course. Sometimes she wondered how he seemed to know everything at any given time. There were even less times when she had seen Albus confused than her, and _that_ was saying something.

And so, he had arranged for a centaur, Firenze, to take over the class once Sibyll was fired. This was for the obvious reason of not wanting any _more_ Ministry officials lurking around the school, which Umbridge would certainly appoint if the position was not filled _immediately._

Minerva had met with Firenze on a few occasions and found he was very knowledgeable about the stars and such, however …vague he may be. It was unfortunate that he had been kicked out of the Forest. Only something really important could have gotten the centaurs' heads out of the clouds. She was surprised even the radical Firenze had come to their rescue. And look where that got him. Ostracized from his people. Though she didn't reveal this to him; Firenze did not accept pity.

So she had thought this whole matter was done with for now. She should have known better. Albus always had something up his sleeve.

The only thing she didn't understand was _why._

True, Firenze wasn't the best expert for _human_ divination, more of the big picture type stuff, but did they really need two teachers? Especially for _that_ subject? In her opinion, this was already one professor too many, but Albus had his own untold reasons. As always.

Minerva sighed and bustled to her office, past the leering stone gargoyles and shady corners. As she came into the familiar hall, the twin torches outside her doorway glowed in the added light of the setting sun coming through the open arched window.

She shivered as a sudden thread of cool air curled around her and clutched her black cloak a little tighter around her shoulders. Why was the window open at this hour? It was late and not yet fully spring outside.

Minerva closed the glass pane with a sharp bang and she jumped slightly at the sound even though she had expected it.

She shook her head to herself. What times were these when one open window made her paranoid! She should be better than that. A model to the other occupants of this castle.

She crossed the wide corridor to the wooden door that led to her office. This too, was ajar and her already tense mood turned suspicious. She slowly edged the door open and winced at the loud creak. At this she suddenly slammed open the door, revealing its contents.

….purple luggage.

_What?_

Minerva quickly scanned the room. Nothing. The only thing out of place was the two mysterious modern purple suitcases, which stuck out like a sore thumb in the gray medieval room.

She quietly shut the door behind her and went over cautiously to inspect the luggage, wand out in her right hand.

The first thing she noticed was the note stuck to the uppermost suitcase written in narrow loopy handwriting.

Albus.

Minerva sighed in relief, more nervous than she'd been willing to let on. Of course it would be him to do something like this.

She seized the parchment and read it over quickly.

_Minerva,_

_Ms. Dare will be arriving today. Her luggage was sent ahead of time and I would be most pleased if you could find a room to for her to occupy during her stay. I am escorting her to Hogwarts at this very moment. By the time you get things settled, we will be arriving in the Entrance Hall. Please meet us there. _

_Albus_

Ms. Dare.

That was her name; Minerva had almost forgotten it. She couldn't quite remember her first name, however. Michelle? Belle? Something with an 'el' sound? She shook her head. Oh well. She would find out eventually.

Minerva pocketed the note and readied her wand once more. She pushed back the sleeves of her heavy robe and flicked her wand at Ms. Dare's luggage. Her clear voice cut through the frigid air.

"Locomotor luggage."

The suitcases responded immediately and floated gently into the air. Of course, she was only causing the bottom one to float, but the other was equally supported as such.

She gently pushed open the door(of course it wouldn't creak _now_) and walked briskly with the suitcases hovering in front of her, directed by her wand.

Minerva had already decided where to place her. It would be easiest to place her nearest to the classroom she would be working in, which would be determined by Firenze's want to stay on the lowest level.

She wondered if Albus had bothered to inform this new professor that he was working with a centaur. She chuckled to herself as she imagined the look of horror on a pompous Ministry worker's face as they realized just who they were working with.

She hoped Ms. Dare was a practical, useful teacher, though this was probably just wistful thinking, considering the subject she specialized in.

Minerva's face darkened as she thought of what Firenze might say. He already thought most humans, especially Sibyll were useless, so how would he react to collaborating with one, as an equal on his expertise?

What was Albus thinking? He might drive the only _useful_ Divination teacher away.

She shook her head again; it seemed she was doing that a lot lately. She would leave it to Albus. He always seemed to know what he was doing. Though she could only wonder how.

Her shoes made loud clapping noises as she descended the little-used staircase, past three pictures of fat men, a whistling group, a stern woman who reminded Minerva of herself and several sleeping portraits, heads lolling in various directions.

The air was musty down here, near the dungeons and forests, and she made a mental note to air out the rooms before she situated the new professor.

The luggage glided out in front of her and Minerva carefully navigated her way to her chosen room.

She followed the suitcases as she turned the last corner and stopped abruptly at the sight of the domineering figure that filled her vision. Bright blue eyes stared down at her from somewhere high above her head.

"Firenze."

He nodded in response to his name.

"Minerva."

He took in the faded purple suitcases floating in front of him. If she hadn't stopped she would have hit him square in his chest.

"What are these for?" He inquired in a monotone.

Had Albus told him? Should she tell him? She contemplated this for but a second before answering him.

"These are your new assistant's luggage." Minerva told him tentatively, tense for his reaction.

Instead he did the last thing she thought he would do: smile. A faint smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Ah, so Miss Dare agreed to come after all?"

Minerva nearly fell over.

"You already knew?" she asked, bewildered.

Firenze's expression turned irritable.

"Of course I knew; I was the one who suggested her coming in the first place."

"I'm sorry, I just thought you….disliked human interference."

He shook his head, swishing blonde hair back and forth.

"Normally centaurs do, but the Oracle is revered in our culture. She is not some frivolous human seer."

His tone was biting, but she could almost sense the respect in his voice when he talked about the 'Oracle.' His explanation only left her more confused. Was Ms. Dare an 'Oracle'? What did that even mean? Why was she not like Sibyll? What could she do that made her so special to the centaurs?

"We are lucky she took the time to visit Hogwarts. The other centaurs might even reconsider if she is on our side."

His bright eyes took on a hopeful gleam.

"Ms. Dare means this much to _all_ centaurs?"

"There are other clans scattered around the world, but we are the last of the prophetic centaurs. To us especially she is important."

He pawed the ground nervously with his right hoof.

"Will her rooms be down here?" He abruptly changed the subject.

"Oh-um, yes, I was going to put her close to the classroom." She stuttered.

"Very well." Firenze said solemnly and turned back the way he came.

Minerva stared after him a moment, left with more questions than before. She shook her head, yet again and certainly not the last. She turned to the plain wooden door and pushed it open gently. Moving the bags in first, she entered the room.

It wasn't overly lavish or frugal, but more like one of the dorms, except that there was only one bed. This particular room was themed shades of gold and blue. There was a thick carpet on the floor with woven intricate patterns and a similar design for the canopy and bedding. There was one very tall window that led to the very top of the high ceiling. There was an abandoned desk and chair on the other side of the room but there was very little other furniture.

She dropped the bags gently down at the foot of the bed, but it still let out what looked like -confetti? Minerva narrowed her eyes and crouched down next to the suitcases, fingering the tiny spots of color between her fingertips.

Dried paint. It was little drops of dried paint, which upon closer inspection, were haphazardly decorating one of the bags. Did Ms. Dare paint?

The other bag didn't seem to have any paint on it, except a larger blotch on the side with looked too much like blood for her tastes.

Just who was this new teacher?

She stood up and brushed herself off and glanced around the room again.

"Scourgify." She muttered pointing at the dust covered furniture. As an invisible duster cleaned the room she turned back to her original thoughts.

What if Ms. Dare was untrustworthy? Albus wouldn't hire her then, right? Of course he _had_ hired Quirrell and he turned out to have _Voldemort _in the back of his head. And he hadn't even warned the staff. Why wouldn't he do that again? But why would he hire her?

"Finite Incantatem." The chamber was clean. She opened the window in the back of the room and the door as she left. By the time she returned, it would at least be less musty. Now it was time to meet the new professor.

**/**

When Minerva entered the Entrance Hall, Dumbledore still wasn't here. The high ceiling caused the clipping sound of her shoes to echo around the hall. It had almost no furnishings, except for the vivid wall hangings and golden chandelier, which filled the hall with a soft flickering light.

Albus seemed to have timed it perfectly; as soon as Minerva reached the center, the imposing doors which were the gateway outside opened slowly. Through the door she could hear Albus.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

How original.

Minerva could just make out four forms in the doorway against the darkening sky. Four forms? She backtracked mentally for a second. Of course, he would have gotten someone to pick him up from Hogsmeade. She figured that the hulking, hunched outline was Moody and the vibrant pink could only be Tonks. Albus, in all his finery stood beside a rather short figure. Minerva squinted at the person, eager for her first look at the new professor.

Minerva first thought Ms. Dare was just small, but as they got closer she could she how _young_ she was. Like, so young she should still be in _school_. She had curly red hair that swirled around her face and a multitude of freckles. Her muggle clothes had faint specks of paint, just like her suitcase, and an unnoticed smear of dark blue marked her upper arm. But what stood out to her the most were her eyes. They were green, a bright jade color, and entranced her on the spot. It might not have been too noticeable, but you could see in her eyes that she was much, much older than she seemed. At least, in the mental sense.

Ms. Dare was not what she expected. At all. Maybe the purple luggage should have been the first clue. What _adult_ has purple luggage?

"Welcome. My name is Minerva McGonagall, deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. I will be showing you around the campus and able to answer any questions you might have."

She tried to smile warmly at the girl, for she seemed a bit bewildered in her surroundings. Nonetheless, she met Minerva's eyes with a curious gaze as she shook her hand.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Thank you for letting me to come."

Rachel(knew it was something with an "el" sound) had a surprisingly strong grip and American accent.

"It is a pleasure."

Minerva turned the others. "Moody, Tonks, will you come in for a moment?"

Moody grunted and Tonks spoke up for both of them. "I wish I could, but we've got to finish our rounds still."

Minerva nodded. That was understandable. At this they left, closing the immense doors behind them.

"Has anything happened in my absence?" Albus asked, but his eyes were twinkling like he already knew the answer.

"No, it's been rather quiet."

"Good, if you would direct Rachel to her quarters….?"

"Yes." She turned to Rachel. "Please follow me."

"Oh, sure. Did my stuff arrive yet? Chiron said he sent it and it should already be here."She said doubtfully.

She nodded and they began walking down the right-hand corridor from whence she just came.

"It's already in your room."

As they walked, Rachel kept glancing around, trying to take in everything at once. She seemed to have overcome her nervousness from before rather easily. And questions. She had an endless supply of questions.

"How do the candles float?"

"Are those paintings moving? Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Where did you get your cloak?"

"How old is this castle?"

"How many kids will I be teaching?"

Minerva answered each inquiry calmly, but inside dying to ask questions of her own. She must not have hid it as well as she thought because Rachel could tell as soon as she looked at her.

"You can ask me questions too, you know. I'd be curious too, strange new teacher and all that."

"Oh-yes." Minerva scolded herself for acting so open in front of this stranger, but was partially relieved. Rachel was very different. Very straightforward and blunt. She didn't seem to fear her like most of the students her age. She sounded so unused to anything magical.

"I'm very sorry if this offends you, but are you a…a muggle?"

Instead of an immediate 'yes' or 'no' Rachel just stared distantly at something out the window they were passing, not really looking at the dense forest, but in thought, as if the question intrigued her.

"I'm not actually sure what I am." She paused, changing her mind. "I suppose you would say muggle. That's what Dumbledore said."

She doesn't even know what she is? Why would Albus bring this _girl _here? Even if she was this 'Oracle?' Though she was still skeptical of that.

But she didn't say anything more past answering her endless questions and led her down the staircase to the lower levels. Rachel was especially intrigued by the moving paintings and it took a second to remember that they didn't have those in the muggle world. She did find out that Rachel was even younger than some of her students! How would they respect her then? She would have to coach her on teaching methods, perhaps, or maybe Firenze would help. She would have to talk to him tomorrow.

They had finally arrived at Rachel's quarters. The first thing Rachel did was check her bags. Or at least the one on the bottom that was covered with specks of paint. She swiftly unzipped it and Minerva caught a glance at a painting inside. It didn't really look like a painting because it was pretty much all black, but in the center was a white blob. Or it looked like a blob because she couldn't see it very well and Rachel closed it after only a second, but still-something seemed so familiar about it. She filed it away somewhere in the back of her mind, and then turned her attention back to Rachel.

Minerva showed her where the bathrooms were and how to find her if need be. She lit the candles and Rachel watched her so intently while she was doing magic, she started to feel uncomfortable. Rachel kicked off her sneakers and flopped onto the plush bed. Minerva paused, not sure if this was a cue to leave.

"I shall be seeing you tomorrow. I will be giving you the full tour of the castle and familiarizing you with some of the staff, including your partner in Divination, Firenze."

_And somehow hide you from Umbridge_, she added in her mind.

"Oh-ok, thanks. I'll be up bright and early then." She sat up and nodded and a stray fiery curl draped itself across her nose. She blew it off with a laugh. "See you in the morning."

Minerva nodded and closed the door softly behind herself, still slightly confused from the whole ordeal.

Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rachel smiled as she stared out the window. The sun was just coming up in the distance and she had gotten up early just to paint it. It was set above a darken forest and quiet countryside with scattered patches of lingering white . It contrasted sharply with the loud, concrete New York City. Here, the sound of her skinny brush flitting across the canvas was the only noise in the room. It was hard to decide which one she liked better.

Her room was really nice, she decided, in a medieval-ish kind of way. The bed was very comfortable and plush and she almost couldn't bring herself to wake up early enough. Minerva-or McGonagall (she wasn't quite sure what to call her)- didn't specify a certain time that she was going to get her, so Rachel had decided to get ready early, just in case. They also didn't seem to have clocks either so who knows what time it actually is now.

Rachel absentmindedly dipped her brush in a warm yellow and began applying it to the painting. She smiled again happily. It was so good to be doing some actually painting. Recently, she kept getting bombarded by visions and headaches. It was getting increasingly harder to hide this at Clarion. One time she even passed out in class. The nurse decided she was dehydrated, thank the gods, and let her off with a warning to drink more water. She had been dazed, she remembered, because of the aftereffects of the vision. It was a simple vision compared to most, all blacks and white.

Rachel glanced down at her canvas and nearly jumped out of her skin. While she had been sitting there, thinking about the vision from school, her hand was recalling another. The red, which she had been using, stood out in vivid streaks against the white, like blood. Scarlet lines creasing and bending in an almost circular figure. It dripped down the woven material in seemingly random patterns. But Rachel knew better.

She sighed heavily and put down her paint brush. Maybe this was enough painting for today. She set aside her canvas and carefully put away her paints. Crossing the chamber slowly, she stopped to savor the feeling of the warm fuzzy strands as they tickled her feet. The soft rug was definitely her favorite feature in the room. Kneeling next to her suitcase she placed the ruined painting on top of her pile. Who knows when she might need it. She wondered if they would give her an office or something. It was better when she could hang her paintings up somewhere.

She stood up and dusted herself off, glancing down at her clothes as she did so. Rachel hoped all wizards didn't dress the same way. They had some freaky outfits. Especially Dumbledore's moon and sun spotted robe. Actually, it doesn't really matter _what _they wore, so long as _she_ doesn't have to wear it too.

Where was Minerva? Shouldn't she have been here already? Just sitting here waiting was getting _really_ boring _really_ fast. Rachel was suddenly stuck with an idea and tentatively opened the heavy wooden door to her room.

They wouldn't mind if she looked around a bit, right?

She stuck her head out into the hall. Empty.

She turned back into her room and shut the door with a quiet thump. Probably should put out the candles first. Wouldn't want to burn the place down on her first day. Rachel went around the room, blowing out each candle, careful to avoid the hot wax. The light streaming through the window was enough to work by. After a moment of hesitation, she pushed her bag of paintings under the bed. She wouldn't want anyone to find them. That would be disastrous.

Finally ready, she ventured outside her room. This too, was the same medieval theme as the rest of the castle. Torches lined the hallway eerily. She decided to go back the way she came; to the main castle. It would be a good place to start. There was that staircase she remembered-and the paintings. Minerva had been very vague when describing them, just saying that someone had put an animation charm on the paint – whatever that meant. Some were still sleeping, snoring even. Like they were alive.

"What are you doing out of uniform?" A voice called out sharply behind her. She turned around quickly.

There was no one. A few paintings stared out at her sleepily from their perch on the gray wall.

"Look up!"

So she did. The woman glared down at her from her frame. She sat in front of a comfortable-looking desk. She wore an old-fashioned blue dress and tiny silver glasses. Was the painting speaking?

"Are you talking to me?"

The woman rolled her eyes.

"Do you see anyone else around?" The sarcastic tone was obvious.

"But…how?"

"Magic, silly."

Rachel debated this internally for a moment. Was the woman an actual person that existed or just someone made up? But then how would she come to have a mind of her own?

"What's your name?"

The lady looked down at her skeptically.

"Professor Joanna Walsp, former charms teacher." Charms sounded like a class, but she didn't want to risk looking stupid just to confirm it.

"What happened?"

"I died." She said rather bluntly.

"But then how….." Rachel trailed off.

"How am I talking to you now?" Rachel nodded. She smiled secretively. "Magic."

It became clear after a few more questions that she wasn't going to be giving any other answers. Rachel told Joanna good-bye with a promise to visit later. She quickly ascended the staircase and found herself in another hallway. Several more portraits and paintings glanced at her curiously, but none made the effort to talk to her.

Left or Right? Rachel was pretty sure she had walked in from the left, so the right it is. Into the unknown.

This hallway was bigger and more open. It was clearly used more often than the slightly musty lower rooms. Suits of armor stood by in neat lines on her right side. The stone corridor looked like something out of old Camelot films. Which reminded her, did that mean people like Arthur and Merlin existed too? Note to self: Ask Minerva or Dumbledore about Camelot. Another note to self: Ask them for a map.

Rachel glanced out the large windows that lined the hallway and wondered if she should go back to get a jacket. The cold English-or possibly Scottish(Another good question)-climate was very different from the mild Clarion weather.

_BANG_

The small crash behind her made her jump a mile into and air and whirl around at top speed.

But again, there appeared to be nothing behind her. Thoroughly unnerved, Rachel took a deep breath and walked rather quickly onto the next corridor, feeling the stares of the faceless metal armor on her back.

This hallway was even bigger than the last, if you could even call it that. It was more of a balcony that led to more corridors and multiple staircases. She leaned out over the edge of the railing and craned her neck straight up.

You'd think that after years of monsters and hallucinating creatures, she would stop being surprised. But she was _not _expecting to see dozens and dozens of staircases, stretching on to forever. And that wasn't the amazing part. They were all _moving._ Some fast and some slow they changed levels, balconies, or some even didn't seem to lead anywhere. Candles literally floated around the entire ensemble, moving precisely out of the way of the flights of stairs. They cast a bright, almost cheerful glow on the complicated scene that just accented the whole 'magic' theme they had going.

"Wow." Rachel whispered under her breath and ran to try out the moving staircases. She was careful to jump over a missing step in the stone work and continued to the top of the stairwell, which was lined with intricate marble railings with a tiny platform at the end. It reached straight up to what she was guessing was the second floor. But just as she reached the end, the stairs gave a sudden jerk and she fell against the hard stone, detailed flower work digging into her side. She grabbed out wildly at the banister and managed to keep herself from falling.

"By the gods." Rachel muttered and firmly resolved to hold onto railings from now on. Especially on moving staircases. She straightened and realized that the staircase had moved directly to her right to connect with another balcony on the second floor.

As soon as the stairs stopped moving, Rachel hurried off before she could fall again. It was then that she noticed the second flight of stairs to her left, just waiting for her. And because she is Rachel, she started up those steps too – while keeping a firm grip on the banister.

This time when the staircase started moving again, she was ready. Rachel was about half-way up the stairs when it jerked to her left, spinning out like a clock hand. It stopped at a single corridor on the third floor. She jogged lightly up the stairs. She thought she was pretty athletic, but she didn't really have too much competition in "exercise class" at Clarion. Nevertheless, she was breathing hard when she reached the top step. She got off quickly and looked around.

The light granite of this part of the castle was brighter than she expected. Rachel ran her hand along the wall of the corridor. It was rough and very uneven though it seemed to be following a particular pattern that Rachel just couldn't place.

The hallway took a sharp turn right and opened up over a courtyard. The windows here were wide and tall so it seemed more like columns than windows. She ran to the railing and leaned out over the courtyard. Snow still piled into small lumps on the grass and the yard around them glistened from the melting weather. Four cobblestone paths led to a center circle with a few benches nearby. This too, was empty of human life.

Rachel breathed heavily and watched as a puff of frosted air dissipated into the frigid morning wind. She stood there for a while, just staring out at nothing in particular and thinking….

The sun slowly climbed the sky bit by bit and few people in dark clothes strolled unnoticed through the courtyard, but Rachel remained pensive. She was finally broken from her reverie by a loud yowl.

It sounded vaguely like a cat but it was so raspy and hissy that it sounded much more like a snake. Rachel jumped in surprised and whirled around, looking for a serpentine monster, perhaps a Lamia, which she'd seen before.

Instead the irritated looking scraggly cat just hissed at her again, watching her carefully with intelligent yellow eyes.

"Uh – nice cat." Rachel tried to sound soothing as she slowly backed down the hallway. Her muscles, which were kinda numb from lack of movement, protested loudly.

"Nice cat."The creepy cat glared at her and swiped its claws on the stone as if to say _I don't like you_. But it didn't make any movement to follow her as Rachel cautiously approached the T-shaped intersection at the end of the balcony. She ducked out of view of the cat, which for some reason made her as nervous as some monsters, and began walking somewhat quickly down the windowless corridor.

She made a series of turns deeper into the castle and tried to remember where she came from. She wandered down the corridors aimlessly, looking for something familiar. Minerva must be looking for her by now. She was starting to get hungry. Rachel sighed and finally admitted it to herself: She was lost.

Just as Rachel approached the next turn, voices drifted through the hall. One voice, really. The voice was masculine and resembled an angry growling about the disrespect of kids these days. His voice was scratchy and mean and Rachel decided that she did _not_ want to meet him. His voice reminded her too much of some of her dad's friends, the ones who disregarded others misfortune and worked only to improve their own fortunes. Sometimes she counted her father among them.

Her decision was only strengthened when the cat came bounding around the corner. That same devil cat that she saw before. Somehow it had found her again and from the sounds of it, it had brought a friend. The cat grinned at her as if to say _I've got you now_. Rachel had nothing against cats, but this one didn't seem on par with normal cuddly cats.

Rachel did an immediate backtrack and started jogging back the way she came before the strange cat's friend could find her. She must have made a wrong turn somewhere, because yet again, nothing looked familiar. Even the style of the stone had changed. She sighed and leaned against the wall for breath. Maybe she should go back. Just because the cat was evil didn't mean the man was. Maybe he could give her directions. But there was something that just told her to stay _away _from the guy.

Rachel stood back up again, but with a sudden rapid force a splitting headache erupted and the drab corridor began to spin in crazy kaleidoscope patterns. She blinked her green eyes at black spots and grappled randomly around for the wall which seemed farther away then she thought it was. That was probably the reason she missed.

"Damn." She whispered as the floor rose up to meet her and the blackness of the vision clouded over.

**A/N:Cliffhanger! I know you all hate me now. I was going to put in the vision, but I already went past my limit for this chapter. Hope you liked it. Next chapter might be in Harry's POV. Just a heads up.**

**Quick Question: Does anyone know if Rachel has to sacrifice food to a fire? I'm not sure if that is just demigods or everyone involved really…**

**PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT!**


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